The beginning of the storm
Well hello there. Today begins the beginning of the first week of school. This semester is the big one. The major. The unbelievable. The intimidating semester. This is the semester of comprehensive examination. This is the semester of oral presentation of information. This is the semester of research projects. This is the semester of stress and challenge and triumph.
I just looked at all the information I need to understand, should understand. I just looked at the information I need to know by a time. That time is only moments of months away. Am I scared? Yes! Am I expectant of success? Yes!
I have about 12 weeks to get my act together before I am either powerful or humiliated. I have over 20 classes of information that has not stopped growing!
What I fear most with my studying is that I will be distracted by the papers. I fear I will be distracted from what I already know. I am known for limiting my self and my abilities by my lack of self confidence.
I also fear that I will fall short. I fear that I will set goals that are so lofty for myself that I will overwork my self and fall into the trap of busy work and not address my ability to reason. I am a critical thinker. I should use that.
I must not forget that I don’t like memorizing details. I must remember to make memory pictures and use old techniques to remember things.
Does anyone else have these fears?
Thinking about all of this, I do get excited about what I do enjoy! I love to piece things together. The big picture is my expertise.
I should take the big picture and use that to approach the details. But I need to review all of my bases. I don’t necessarily need to do this all first, but I need to do this somewhat efficiently.
I need to practice thinking. I know that sounds weird, but I need to practice retrieving the big picture from my brain and build my case for a patient.
that is what I need to get good at... building my case for a patient from the information I know.
For 2 years I have practiced reciting information. I have practiced testing information. I have learned information and how it relates to a single gear in the machine of physical therapy.
Putting the gears together is the powerful part of physical therapy.
I know things. Things are in my brain. Dust off the rust, oil the machine, but learn to use the machine... not the gears.
So here is my plan...
Do my oiling. But also do practicing. I should spend 2/3 of my time per day dusting off the rust for the first half of the semester (6 weeks). The second half I should spend 3/5ths of my time joining information to make sense. But I will be doing both at the same time...I will just be focusing more on one than the other for a period.
There is a lot of review so that may take more presidence. But I have to satisfy the big picture. I am a titrater, not a crammer. Build into the information.
So hello there. Hang in there. The Lord is with me. Honesty has graced this page :)